Smilemo
Smilemo
Game
Game2024
Flame Keeper
Developer Kautki Cave
Flame Keeper is a dynamic, action rogue-lite that sees you restore the Eternal Flame, stolen by creatures of shadow. Fight through a rogue's gallery of monsters in diverse biomes using fiery combat skills. No sweat for a lump of coal like you. From the Steam store page
74 reactions from 3 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Mastodon) · newest Oct 19, 2026 · last updated Oct 20, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
66
Fresh
43 positive · 22 negative
95% range 54–76%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 43 | 22 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 4 | 0 | 3 |
| Mastodon * | 0 | 0 | 2 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Mixed
50 of 72 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
67% recommend · 43 yes, 21 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 64 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Mostly Positive (113 of 157 positive).
Many players find the game repetitive, with limited enemy variety and a grind-heavy progression. [1][2][3] The cute art style and smooth gameplay are widely praised, especially by those new to roguelites. [4][5][6] Some reviewers note bugs, a lack of polish, and a need for more content or variety. [7][8][9]
Liked
Representative posts
- [16]
So it kinda looks nice and the animations look good - but it lacks in the gameplay mechanics. From the looks of it, it reminded me of this Cult of the Lamb game. Every level is the same of fetching 4 stones for the fireplace and then charging it with your live energy, which you also have to replenish, to charge it again. But this charging of the fireplace also respawns all enemies. And you have to do this for 2/3 …
- [9]
The idea of the game is ok, but the implementation is far from what I was expecting. The game is very repetitive, the upgrades are boring and too far between, it doesn't give a good sense of power and progression. It feels, unfinished... I've completed the first biome to see if things would spice up, but no, the game continues to be very boring. Take it on sale if you wish, but I don't recommend this one, not at …
- [1]
It's a nice game. But I think I was not the target demographic. I think it was meant for younger players. There were only few types of enemies, which were reskinned for each biome. Yes, all bosses were different for each biome, but that is not enough variety in the span of 19 hours that I have played this game. In short: I was bored when I finished 50% of the game because I already had a feeling that the game will …
- [5]
Exceptionally fun to play, smooth and polished gameplay with cool animation and designs <3 Already beat the game but there is more content just waiting to have access to it. worth the money if you like roguelike games this one I definitely recommend it.
- [6]
This is a cute and fun roguelite. Great for those new the genre or for those that are looking for something a little less sweaty. Game play feels smooth and the attacks and abilities feel impactful. Especially being an early access game I think this well worth the time and the money. I did make a 1st thoughts video for this so if you want a little more info feel free to check it out here https://youtu.be/0plRX0FPgF8
Summarised from 34 of the 75 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 13, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
67% of the 64 Steam reviewers we collected recommend Flame Keeper. The complaint that keeps coming up: repetitive gameplay and enemy variety. Deal-breaker or nitpick?
Reactions
60 of 74 · most liked firstSo it kinda looks nice and the animations look good - but it lacks in the gameplay mechanics. From the looks of it, it reminded me of this Cult of the Lamb game. Every level is the same of fetching 4 stones for the fireplace and then charging it with your live energy, which you also have to replenish, to charge it again. But this charging of the fireplace also respawns all enemies. And you have to do this for 2/3 levels. This is the same for every level - the third level of each stage is kind…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →TLDR: The game has potential, but lacks "newness" to keep the runs fun, especially when losing. I wouldn't recommend the game in its current state. The boss fights are fun. But the stages before that are repetitive. So much so that I don't feel like beating the last stages over again to kill the second boss. I'd love to see some more creative modifiers when filling the campfire. Ones that visibly change something about the character and feel different. Adding extra armour/speed/regen/stamina…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's a nice game. But I think I was not the target demographic. I think it was meant for younger players. There were only few types of enemies, which were reskinned for each biome. Yes, all bosses were different for each biome, but that is not enough variety in the span of 19 hours that I have played this game. In short: I was bored when I finished 50% of the game because I already had a feeling that the game will be repetitive and the same biome story line will repeat 4 times ... which…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Super cute creatures, especially foxes and spiders, and also, love the color aesthetics. At first, feels easy but the further in the game the more challenging it becomes. Can't wait to see the next updates, especially the new enemies and bioms!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →[url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/33025671-Missi-the-Achievement-Huntress/] Please see my curator page for more games that are well worth your time This review for Flame Keeper is written while it was just released in Early Access. I expect that there will be added more achievements later on before the final release. Approximate amount of time to 100%: 5h Estimated achievement difficulty: 4/10 Minimum number of playthroughs needed: 1 Is there a good guide available: You don't need…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Game is good, but gets stale really fast. The art direction is cute and fits the game well, but I can't get past the gameplay. When killing enemies in an area, the exact enemies you killed spawn back in. The hud is a disaster in my opinion and is not clear on what it displays. There are a lot of different monster species that you have to fight (3 lol). It's just barely okay and I don't feel like it deserves a thumbs up. If anyone asks me, I would not recommend to buy/play it.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Exceptionally fun to play, smooth and polished gameplay with cool animation and designs <3 Already beat the game but there is more content just waiting to have access to it. worth the money if you like roguelike games this one I definitely recommend it.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →boring roguelite with a lot to grind. buying new stuff don't change gameplay, so its from the beginning to end the same. only some enemys change, but every world has 3 lvls, so the new enemys gets boring too. think this is a roguelite for kids, who have fun with the design and easy gameplay.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →EA Action roguelite + graphics + controller friendly = Bastion style play with more mechanics. Collect items and upgrade skills. Make sure to hit chests around the map and be careful of falling off. [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/35180752-3-point-play/] Follow our curator for similar games
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Full Walkthrough: https://youtu.be/DvUlw1Mwi8Y Gameplay: Decent (Nothing Special) Graphics: Good Music: Decent PC Requirements: Fast Game Time: 2-3 hrs
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →First game: Flame Keeper Only about half an hour in, and my first impression notes are this: Cute animations and fun gimmick of your health being your currency, although the performance is a little lacking and the action is a bit clunky (why does jumping use your stamina???), but pretty good so far
neutral · AI labelView post →The idea of the game is ok, but the implementation is far from what I was expecting. The game is very repetitive, the upgrades are boring and too far between, it doesn't give a good sense of power and progression. It feels, unfinished... I've completed the first biome to see if things would spice up, but no, the game continues to be very boring. Take it on sale if you wish, but I don't recommend this one, not at this state of the game.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Boring and repetitive. Or, repetitive and boring. Chose the order. Your life energy is what you need to light a fire and get out of the map. On top of 3 artifacts. Find the artifacts, get enough life, light the fire. But because it is not enough, do light the fire 4 times for each and every fire/map. So, run around the map, find again (exact same places) where you can find more life and then comes to light the fire again. After the 4th time, you get projected in a new map. One is some sort of…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →So far so good, well worth the asking price.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Still not going to recommend this even it's Cute. Game play are boring Smash and Dodge... And that's it, you run around in the Random Generated Map, then look for item to spend Health bar to unlock it. Then Fight Mobs, that will take up some of your hp. You have a stamina bar which you Do Dash, Jump It had some Roguelike progression where Lvl up the bon fire, you get a new passive out of 3 optioins. You don't need this game.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Flame Keeper is yet another of literally hundreds of lazy retro top-down/iso shooter/brawlers infesting Steam and lowering the average quality of all video games everywhere. This one is a handheld (Nintendo Switch)/console game that's also been put on Steam as a bit of an afterthought, as it's very much designed for the handheld/console gaming audience. There's no real reason for anyone to want to play this, all you do is run around, collect pickups and brawl/shoot enemies in procgen arenas,…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Since its "early access" hoping the devs read some of the reviews to see why this game is almost awesome and fix it. I'M going to play it more so its definitely at-least a game Neat, yet bare bones combat-button-mash Rougelite idea currently set up in a way when an mmo or rpg adds fetch quests to make a game longer. you have to fill things with fire around the map which drains your HP... this makes it so you have to grind each level in a way that feels repetitive in a boring way then you…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Cute rogue-like game that could have been way better. It is a simple game with some minor bugs but most of all, it is repetitive. + cute art style + achievements included + reasonable difficulty + nice boss design - minor bugs (you can get stuck in a texture easily if not careful) - no save option between stages - repetitive (a lot)
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →got it for 2eur, so cant complain. Story/dialogue skippable so its good future Game it self 7/10 Edit: couldn't finish the game as constantly freezing or crashing and there are no saves in between rooms. And spending 40min and get game crash, have no motivation to start again p.s. devs why there are no keyboard rebinding? 5/10 final score
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's a fun little game, I've been gradually playing though all stages of early access. And the gameplay loop, while repetitive, never stopped being entertaining for me. With that said even though they marked as done (v1.0) there is still a lot of room for improvement. Some of the upgrades are WAY TOO grindy to the point that you'll partially never unlock them. Sometimes you fall or get stuck because of the fixed camera perspective. Some mechanics are still not communicated well, e.g. the…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is a cute and fun roguelite. Great for those new the genre or for those that are looking for something a little less sweaty. Game play feels smooth and the attacks and abilities feel impactful. Especially being an early access game I think this well worth the time and the money. I did make a 1st thoughts video for this so if you want a little more info feel free to check it out here https://youtu.be/0plRX0FPgF8
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →4/10 not a full game yet. you cant even unlock all the upgrades because the stuff you need to unlock them is in an area that isnt part of the game as of right now. really like it at first, got some light tower defends elements with a minigame level the goal is to go out and find a thing that needs to be carried back to your fire fun when you don't have to do the same path 6 times each time going farther - items needed to finish the levels can fall off the map, no way to finish the level now -…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I have played this game on steam fest next and now bought EA version and I think I can recomend this game for someone who like games with chilling artstyle and music. Game is quite simple in mechanics and general idea however you will find that it is not so easy to deal with levels :D There are some bugs but they are not critical and allows you to play game without any problems.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The best way I can describe Flame Keeper is half-baked. The concept of "health = currency" is neat, but isn't threatening or really as impactful as it could be, the upgrades are boring, the stamina system is very annoying in later, more vertically-focused levels, the enemy variety is poor and there's not much incentive to play after finishing all biomes. Some things also feel... unfinished: for example, there are mushrooms around the levels that have certain effects when eaten and a perk that…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Fun game that challenges you to explore different stages and fight enemies with your fire powers. The control is smooth and responsive, and the stages are fun especially Village defense. However, there are some things that need improvement and added to make the game more enjoyable. For example: the loot should not fall off the map when you kill enemies near the edge, because that feels unfair. The explosive monsters need to be modified, because the explosion lasts a long time. It would be…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Many things need to be done for a good improvement: -It doesn't need to be meant to farm to increase stats. Maybe different levels should be added for players that do not have much time for farming -While holding items, should be able to use temporary special stats and else... -A mini map would be nice for better UX Anyway, after playing this game just more than 1 hour and I found that the Early Access version is very good, that means I see potentials of this game in the official release. Keep…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I wouldn't recommend this game because it still needs a lot of work. There are spoilers. The game should still be in early access. Mouse control is also poorly done, especially in the menus. You can't change the buttons either. The story is boring and uninteresting. On easy difficulty, you're like an immortal at some points. When you hit, you sit in one place like a stone. Given that the game requires you to move. The game places too much emphasis on stamina being lost very easily and regained…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Excellent indie game to pass the time, very entertaining, it may be unknown to some but when you play it you want to recommend it to many more people, highly recommended to kill boredom and good gameplay.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Screen shake almost killed me. Considering going back Should be able to light da grass on fire a la 420
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's okay. Nothing fancy nor out of the ordinary. You jump, you collect things, you defeat mobs. Just what you could expect from a simple 3D action / platform.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A good review need a few word to describe this litte gem . Enjoyable and simple dungeon crawler. Simple yet clever mechanics . And let's don't forget the beautiful graphics and cute helpers.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →a fine game, nice style, good for ppl that like figtings, quests and puzzles.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Super cute rouge like with tower defense elements! 100% worth a try
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Is it just me, or do all of this developer's games just kinda not work very well? Poor controls, janky scaling on an ultrawide monitor, game-breaking bugs aplenty? That kind of thing?
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Nice idea but not very well executed, nice graphics and movement but the gameplay loop isnt good. I was also able to get all the achievements without progressing past the fourth stage / first stage of the second biome. I recommend this game if its on sale but could do with some big updates to make it more enjoyable
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Fun, unique rogue lite! Very wholesome concept, would recommend as a spooky season game :)
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Cute and engaging. The colors and visuals are incredible. I can NOT wait to play more!!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Sit Back And Relax...
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Awesome and fun game. Recommend for anyone looking for some chill comfy fun
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Thank you Untold tales for following up with a response and a fix to the bug I was experiencing. Flame keeper is challenging game, but I keep finding myself coming back for more. Well worth a play through.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'm not really good at rogue like games, but this one plays SO smoothly it makes me feel like I'm actually getting much better at these types of games! ;w; It's very forgiving as well. I've died twice, but it allows you to respawn at the same world again to restart instead of just tossing you back into the main hub. It's definitely worth a play for yourself to see its charm!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Very fun roguelike! Thank you for allowing me to show off this game! It's an absolute blast to play, I had incredible fun with it! Very well optimised, runs well with an old GPU which I'm very happy about! The gameplay is super fun, I had no issues!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'm super excited to be trying out Flame Keeper for the first time!! It's a rogue lite tower defense game that I was given the code to! TYSM!!!! www.twitch.tv/pixxachu youtube.com/live/HcCkrEo... #Vtuber #ENVtuber #IndieVtuber #VtuberUprising #TwitchAffiliate
neutral · AI labelView post →Flame Keeper by Kautki Cave is an action-packed roguelite game available on Steam. It follows Ignis, a special coal, as he embarks on a mission to restore the Eternal Flame and liberate the world of Orbis from the forces of darkness. Here's a detailed review based on various online sources. Pros: - Visually Appealing Art Style: The game features a vibrant and colorful art style that is both appealing and immersive. The character designs, along with the glowing environments and enemies, create…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Excellent gameplay, graphics and controls. And they're so cute!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Excellent quality, fun game loop. played 2 hours, see myself playing 20 more.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The game itself is beautiful, well planned, only issue found so far is with the store, put it might just be me being a noob
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Pretty fun game with awesome visuals and worlds to explore! Look forward to the other stuff the devs are working on!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I got this game during the winter sale, and I think it is worth the sale price. It's fun and relatively easy to play. The graphics are cute and the music is really nice in it, like a mix of Tim Burton and Disney. I really love the concept of the game, and for me, it was challenging since I am not a big gamer and I don't play platforming games - there were some elements to it that were challenging to me. Overall, I am excited for the future releases to see what else they add. There are a lot of…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is great ! has incredible artwork / fun game play. Unsure why this game is so unknown and not popular
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Why would it be ever fun. The gameplay is just too simple. If the fight would be more fun I might be able to look past the issues that the world is not interesting.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Cute artstyle. But the mouse not locking to window absolutely kills any fun that I had in my brief time playing this game. Consistently losing focus of the game, returning to my character doing my last input (E.g. running left) so that my character runs off the edge and takes damage or is killed by a mob.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I should start off by saying this might be one of the most polished early access games I’ve played, especially considering it was only released 3mos ago. The characters are cute, the controls are fluid, the combat mechanics play well, and the game already has a large variety of powerups, weapons, effects, etc. That being said the game can get cumbersome fast. The lack of a minimap meant I got lost trying to find the damn lamp while all the while the freaking enemies kept respawning with…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →very fun! and really death friendly.. when you die you keep all the materials you have gathered and build your guy stronger and stronger.. i just beat the game until it is updated and it was tons of fun
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Had so much fun playing this game, the characters are adorable, controls are very easy to use & understand.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's kinda mediocre. It looked cute at first, but there's nothing new to see, sadly.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →BEFORE saying anything about the game: the game has good gameplay and its fun! the designs for everything is almost very good! and almost all of the game is about fighting with a lot of thing to help you do that! loved the boos fights!(as i always do!) the game is challenging and makes you learn how to play. this game does worth 15 hours of your life! BUT: Flame Keeper is a game that u can fully ignore the story and dialogs(both are a lot DULL!) , dont care much about the progress…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The coolest thing about Flame Keeper is all the different buffs you can purchase as you proceed through the game. It's fundamentally pretty simple and repetitive, but the constant "rolling" for new perks, buying upgrades and picking up various little benefits to alter the play style makes the game fun and addictive. You mostly just pick up runes and put them in a fire pit in the first two stages. To do this you need to sacrifice health. You can get health back by defeating enemies, breaking…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Most people have said the same, lacks finish and there does not seem to be much to the game as it is. Its pretty but it will not engage you for long before you are wondering if there will be a content update. Would not recommend.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Flame Keeper is a charming little roguelite that I genuinely enjoyed, though it wears out its welcome faster than it should. The art style is adorable, the controls feel smooth and responsive, and the tower defense stages were a surprisingly fun twist I didn't expect to like as much as I did. That said, the core loop — collecting artifacts, draining your health to light the fireplace, fighting the same respawning enemies — gets repetitive by the time you hit the second biome, and the upgrade…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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